sciencesourceimages: How Immunotherapy Might Be Used to Treat Heart Failure Modified immune cells ma
sciencesourceimages: How Immunotherapy Might Be Used to Treat Heart Failure Modified immune cells may be trained not just to attack cancer, but any cells in the body that cause disease, a new study suggests. by Gina Kolata / NY Times A cutting-edge cancer treatment can also cure certain kinds of heart failure in mice, scientists reported on Wednesday. The treatment is a type of immunotherapy known as CAR-T therapy, which has proved life-changing for some patients with blood cancers. CAR-T relies on engineered white blood cells, T cells, that seek out and destroy malignant cells in the body. In the new study, published in the journal Nature, the technology was used to target scar tissue that stiffens the heart and prevents it from fully relaxing between beats in heart failure patients. “It is potentially a breakthrough paper,” said Dr. Richard Lee, professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard who was not involved in the new study. Medical experts like Dr. Lee agreed that the study is clever and innovative, and at least a proof of principle. But some asked if it would be feasible to use the therapy to treat heart patients, at least in the near future. For cancer, CAR-T therapy costs about $450,000 per patient. When hospital stays are included, the price can soar to $1 million or more. Read the entire article Image above ©Eye of Science / Science Source -- source link